The image a candidate projects can have a powerful influence on the campaign’s success in reaching its strategic goals. This excerpt from Online Political Communication highlights how pictures can be used to strengthen the political image and generate interaction and participation

Most of the information we convey is nonverbal. Body language plays a fundamental role in communicating who we are and is much more powerful and immediate than mere words. This is why it is necessary to consider objectives carefully and develop a strategy before producing and selecting photos. (more…)

The book Online Political Communication contains a Foreword by Mitch Stewart, Battleground States Director, Obama 2012 campaign and co-founder of 270 Strategies.

The power of organizing starts with people. What we learned on President Obama’s campaign in 2008 and what was confirmed in 2012 was the importance of relationships.

The best messengers were people you knew. It was friends talking to friends, neighbors talking to neighbors, students talking to students. It was about meeting people where they are and increasingly that was online.

Since the 2012 campaign, I have had the privilege of having conversations with political leaders and organizations all over the world. I believe that the best practices we learned from years of leading the Obama organization can be applied universally. At the core of our campaign were the people. It was the volunteers who showed up after work to spend hours on the phones. It was the mothers who brought their children along to knock on doors in their neighborhoods. It was the young people who shared information with their friends on Facebook. What we know now is that campaigns are constantly evolving, and successful campaigns will be the ones that are innovative and stay ahead of the curve. (more…)

How can you use the web to build trust with citizens, organise participation, and generate consensus? How can you ensure that an increasing number of people know about you and support your cause? And, above all, how can online participation be transformed into active participation offline?

This book provides research findings and practical information on online communication strategies in politics. Based on communication research and real world political-campaign experience, the author examines how to use the Web and social media to create public visibility, build trust and consensus, and boost political participation. It offers a useful guide for practitioners working in the political arena, as well as for those managing communication projects in institutions or companies.